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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. staff — employees
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stem — to come from
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. kick — in football
  19. ball — a great time
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stem — a stem cell

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com